Big Decision - Need Help!

[MuscleGirl'sHobby]

And yes, for that I come to my friends on OB!

A bit of background: I am a college student. I've returned to college after being in the Army. I'm now a disabled veteran, so the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs is sending me to school. I had to pick a major right away in order for them to proceed with anything, so I picked civil engineering. I had some interest in it - bridges and earthquake retrofits for buildings were of special interest. Plus, it's a real good paying career with one of the highest starting salaries for newbies with a bachelors. But, I'm just not a jazzed about it as I am with other things. I've also realized that the majority of jobs would be in bigger cities, and I'm a country bumpkin, small town girl! My ultimate goal is to move back to somewhere along the Rocky Mountains where I grew up. Wyoming (my home state), Colorado, Idaho, and Montana are all on the list. Not many big civil engineering jobs there.

Which brings me to now... While the field does still interest me, there are things which interest me way more (granted, with much lower salaries). But, if I'm going to change my major, I've got to do it soon, because starting next semester I'm going to be up to my neck in engineering specific courses.

Two areas which I've always got my nose in just for the fun of it are geology, and plants! Most folks in the field of geology have a master's degree. VA won't pay for that, so I'd have to finish my B.S. and then go it on my own for the master's. I was considering doing this with engineering too anyhow.

I've always though having a career working with plants, botany, research... whatever green related! Would be a blast. Even since I was a kid I thought about something like that. But, I always wrote it off as one of those dreams. I figured pay was too low, jobs too hard to find, and they had to be something along the line of taking over the family business.

I've been thinking about some type of a horticulture or plant biology degree for a while and discussed it with hubby a couple times of the last few months. Then, yesterday as I was reading through my "Dendrobiums and It's Relatives" book by Bill Lavarack I realized that I want so much more knowledge into the workings of orchids and other plants as well. I would love to research native plants, take part in conservation efforts, work in a nursery breeding and growing. I'd simply be in heaven learning to flask orchids and deal with pests, diseases and viruses. Give me a lab already!

So, the questions really are: Am I crazy? Are there jobs out there in these fields? Are they hard to come by? Anyone in the field who would have any suggestions on where to start etc? Should I take the leap?

[flhiker]

Wow! Nichole this is a question that only you can answer. First of all I don't think there's a lot of money to be made in the horticulture field till you pay your due's so to speak and maybe not even then. But then again doing what one love's is sometime worth more then money. What ever you decide, I wish you all the success.

[Beverly]

Nichole,
Your not crazy! I plan on going back to school sometime in the future myself. I'm also very much into geology and horticulture in addition to ancient history.
If I were in you position, I would major in civil engineering. Right now the economy sucks, but eventually it will get better. Hopefully by the time you get your degree. That way, you can get a job that pays well enough for you to take courses in geology and horticulture and change professions later if you still want to.
I wish you luck, what ever you decide.
Beverly

[MuscleGirl'sHobby]

Originally Posted by flhiker

Wow! Nichole this is a question that only you can answer. First of all I don't think there's a lot of money to be made in the horticulture field till you pay your due's so to speak and maybe not even then. But then again doing what one love's is sometime worth more then money. What ever you decide, I wish you all the success.

Yeah, I don't need to be rich. Just happy.

Originally Posted by Beverly

Nichole,
Your not crazy! I plan on going back to school sometime in the future myself. I'm also very much into geology and horticulture in addition to ancient history.
If I were in you position, I would major in civil engineering. Right now the economy sucks, but eventually it will get better. Hopefully by the time you get your degree. That way, you can get a job that pays well enough for you to take courses in geology and horticulture and change professions later if you still want to.
I wish you luck, what ever you decide.
Beverly

I don't really have to worry about paying for the courses now. If I chose to go that path, a B.S. is paid for. I certainly do hope the economy is picked back up by the time I graduate. I've got a few years, so we shall see. I'm kind of dreading my classes next semester, and looking at the course catalog drooling over some of the agriculture and geology courses. lol

[quiltergal]

Wow! This is like deja vu Nichole. My son has always had similar interests. My husband worked for BLM for over 30 years and his last title was Noxious Weed coordinator for the Medford District. He and my son have worked together before (post DH retiring) on noxious weed eradication contracts. DS recently quit the hotel job..(I know lets not go there)...hospitality just wasn't his thing. The two of them are thinking about starting a native plant restoration business that would combine noxious weed eradication with reintroducing native species to the affected areas. Around here it's something that people are really aware of, and interested in doing. They have 3 contracts lined up already. DH has many years of experience in keying out plants. Son has very little. He would love a degree in Botany but it's very math heavy at least it is here in Oregon. Math is almost an insurmountable hurdle for him.

BLM has botanists as well as geologists on staff so that could be another possible area of employment. Competition is pretty stiff for most gov't jobs though. With the economy as it is I would imagine they are under a hiring freeze right now. But who knows what it will be like by the time you have your degree.

Ultimately I think if you have a choice you should always follow your heart as well as your head. Too many of us end up in jobs we can't stand, or merely tolerate. If you have the chance to do something you love go for it! You may never get the chance again!

[MuscleGirl'sHobby]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

The two of them are thinking about starting a native plant restoration business that would combine noxious weed eradication with reintroducing native species to the affected areas. Around here it's something that people are really aware of, and interested in doing. They have 3 contracts lined up already.

This is awesome!
Last semester, my hubby used his GI bill to take two classes: Native trees & shrubs, and soils. He was so stoked and really wants to do something similar to what you DH and DS are looking at. I was more interested in his classes than mine!

BLM has botanists as well as geologists on staff so that could be another possible area of employment. Competition is pretty stiff for most gov't jobs though.

Government jobs are a tad easier for me to nudge into because I have a 10 point veterans preference. But I agree, still tough competition.

Too many of us end up in jobs we can't stand, or merely tolerate.

This is what I'm so scared of!

If you have the chance to do something you love go for it! You may never get the chance again!

That's pretty much what my Mom says I'm one of these people who likes to make a plan and stick with it, so a change like this is scary. I doubt very much that once in a career, I'd leap to make a change like this.



Thanks for all of the replies. It certainly is giving me things to think consider. It's helpful, really, it is! So, keep em coming!

For now... I'm of to class. Math! Which I do enjoy

[penguin66]

Nichole-
Speaking from experience, engineering courses can be a massive pita (electrical engineering). One thing I did that allowed me to keep my sanity while taking classes was to make sure that at least one class every semester was something that I wanted to take and wasn't necessarily required in the curriculum. I'm not sure if the Army would pay for those since they aren't going to directly lead to a degree in civil engineering.

If it were me in your situation, I think I'd go ahead with the civil engineering degree, adding courses in biology, geology and horticulture as much as possible. There are geological and biological implications to the work that civil engineers do after all! After getting your degree, I'd plan on continuing in school--maybe not go for a masters, but instead get another bachelors in biology or geology.

Best of luck!

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Nicole

Do you have access to career counseling in your college?

It seems to me that there will be new jobs, for example, in the fields of sustainable land use, crop science, both in the planning and regulatory agencies by the time you graduate.

Since you seem to have skills in mastering the physical sciences involved and people skills many jobs may be available to you.

You might even look for the direction government funding is going as far as supporting public and private environmental initiatives.

[cb977]

Hi Nichole

While it is important to be able to pay the bills and try to live comfortably...it's more important to spend your life doing something you love to do. Nothing sadder than getting to your latter years of life and realizing you haven't enjoyed it as much as you could have...if only

Think about what's important in your life...and I'm sure you'll make the best decision for you.

We're all gonna be backing you up 110% either way

[jkofferdahl]

You aren't crazy! Not at all. So many people in the world do jobs they hate! While they may make good money, why be miserable? In my opinion, happiness is worth a lot more than wealth. Of course, I'm a librarian, and how many millionaire librarians do you know!

The agriculture field is one with a lot of possibility. You may need a Masters here, too, to really advance, but you can get started in the field while working on it. I'd say go for what you LIKE rather than what says it'll pay you a small bundle. You'll be working for the next 40 years or so, and why spend that much time doing something you don't like?